Pointview House, a great many years ago. Travellers used to stop
an' look around for the Point, an', of course, they couldn't see
it, for there's none here; at least, no point of land. They'd go
in an' order drinks an' say:

"'Landlord, where's the point?'

"An' the landlord would say: 'Well, boys, if you ain't in a hurry
you'll probably see it purty soon.'

"All at once it would appear to 'em, an' it was apt to be an'
amusin' bit o' scenery.

"We've always been quick to see a point here, an' anxious to show
it to other people."

He leaned back and laughed as one foot sought the top of his desk.

"Our balloons rise from every walk o' life an' come down out o'
ballast," he went on. "Many of 'em touch ground in the great
financial aviation park that surrounds Wall Street. In our stages
of recovery the power of Lizzie has been widely felt."

Up went his other foot. I saw that the historical mood was upon
him.

"Talk about tryin' to cross the Atlantic in an air-ship--why,
that's conservative," he continued. "Right here in the eastern
part o' Connecticut lives a man who set out for the vicinity of the
moon with a large company--a joint-stock company--in his life-boat.